Architecture + Engineering
Chicago has been — and continues to be — a center for innovation in architectural design, hosting such great architects as Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Helmut Jahn, Adrian Smith, and many others. The city’s reputation as a center for architecture can be traced to the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and Daniel Burnham’s master plan for the city. Building on this tradition, the McCormick School of Engineering is pleased to announce a new concentration in architectural engineering and design. Both the image of cities and the quality of life for those who live in them are substantially defined by architects and engineers working together to design and construct buildings and other structures. This process requires a mixture of imaginative design, knowledge of materials and systems, and a variety of analysis and management tools. Traditionally architects have led the design effort, and they are best known for the aesthetic element of their products. But it is the integration of architecture and engineering perspectives that leads to breakthrough, innovative buildings in terms of functionality, aesthetics, economy, and sustainability.
Engineering + Architecture
Building design is as old as the history of civilization, yet today the evolving challenges and opportunities in building design and construction are real, diverse, and exciting.
These include:
- New building materials, including composites,super high strength concrete, adaptive, self-monitoring and self-healing systems.
- Total integration of information technology in building life cycles, using building information models to support design, construction, operation, and rehabilitation.
- Evolving requirements for safety and security, including damage resistant and resilient materials and designs.
- Life cycle designs that support adaptive reuse of structures as needs change.
- Demands for energy efficiency and sustainability, including use of recycled materials and zero-energy building concepts.
These challenges and opportunities demand a new kind of professional, with expertise in structural analysis, architectural design, systems engineering, information technology, and management.
A New Program at Northwestern
To prepare engineering students for collaborative careers in the building industry — as architects, structural designers, builders, project managers, or developers — Northwestern University offers a concentration in Architectural Engineering and Design — AE & D — in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.It is particularly fitting to introduce this program at Northwestern, because of our established excellence in engineering and the strong and growing emphasis on design as represented by the Segal Design Institute. The world-renowned architectural heritage of Chicago provides a logical context for this program.
This new specialty is intended to meet the interests of creative students with a strong sensibility for and appreciation of architectural design. Graduates will be prepared to:
- Join the building and construction industry directly.
- Pursue graduate studies in architectural engineering, construction management, and structural design.
- Enter graduate programs in architecture.
Students will take a basic program of study in civil engineering, with specialty courses in architecture and architectural engineering. They will have the opportunity to study with top architects and develop a portfolio that will prepare them for a career in architectural engineering or graduate study in architecture.
The AE & D program will:
- Provide students with a broad understanding of building systems and design.
- Develop their ability to communicate and collaborate with architects.
- Explore issues in sustainability and green design of buildings.
The program will be strongly linked to the Chicago building community – prominent architects, engineers, and builders - who will provide leadership, teaching, and guidance to the program and its students. These relationships will create US and international internship and career placement opportunities for AE & D students.
AE & D Program of Study Includes:
- Introduction to Architectural Engineering
- Building Systems and Design
- Architectural Engineering Studio/Portfolio I & II
- Analytic and Computer Graphics
- Structural Steel Design
- Reinforced Concrete
- Introduction to the History of Architecture
Design Studio and Portfolio Development
The studio course will provide an opportunity for extended, mentored design exercises to develop creativity and design and representation skills. This course will be taught by experienced architects, and work products can be used in the design portfolio for each student, a necessary part of the application to most graduate programs in architecture and design.
Placement Connections
Connections with the architecture and building professions in this program can be helpful for placements in internships, cooperative education employment, and career positions. As engineers and architects explore novel ways to design buildings in response to new demands and opportunities, they push the extremes of structures, materials, and ideas. It is important that engineers and architects speak the same language and understand their complementary roles in the creative process of shaping and sustaining our built and natural environments. The Architectural Engineering and Design Program prepares students for the interdisciplinary world of building design at the cutting edge of architecture and engineering.
Leadership
The Architectural Engineering and Design Program is directed by Laurence Booth, Richard Halpern/RISE International Distinguished Architect in Residence. Booth, design principal of Booth Hansen Associates, is an award-winning architect with more than 45 years experience. Studio and specialty courses will be taught by Mr. Booth, other experienced architects, and local building industry professionals.
(Click here for a McCormick Magazine article on the new program)
